Ghost
by Mangaka Shuzen
Summary: He was dead, most definitely dead. How could she forget? He died smiling and bleeding in her lap. She cried herself to sleep for months. He was most undoubtedly dead. So why was he standing at the foot of her bed, acting as if it were nothing?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello there, Mangaka Shuzen here with a better version of this Naruto fic, I hope=] Read and enjoy, but if you hate it, please don't hunt me down and kill me, because my purpose ain't completed yet! So, read and enjoy=]**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own his action figure^^**

Green emerald eyes stared into the ceiling, having lost all the energy and life that it once contained. They concentrated on nothing, but were not completely blank either. Those eyes held the deepest sadness that one might ever come across. Not only sadness, but they were filled with regret, longing and hurt. There were no tears. All her tears had been shed to the point of crying blood, but that was not a pleasant experience. Flashes of her past continued to go through her mind, slowly and painfully.

_Sakura-chan!_

Sakura slowly squeezed her eyes closed.

_Let's go for ramen, Sakura-chan, my treat! _Even with her eyes closed, she could imagine his brilliant and sunny smile. Sakura wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, and tossed in that huge bed that, once upon a time, belonged to the both of them. Her mind replayed the times when she had hit him upon his advances, and the times when Team 7 itself would go to have ramen, and finally, the times when she accepted his offers for dates. Her mind grew lethargic, and she unwillingly got pulled into slumber.

"_Sakura-chan," the bloody, but happy, blond grinned cheerfully at her. "I'm home!" Sweat and grime covered his body and blood could be could all over his uniform, though they both knew that it not all was his. Indeed, he had the skill not to get injured, but his recklessness must have given him a couple of minor injuries._

"_Hey there, love." She smiled warmly at him. "Welcome home." Walking up to him and tiptoeing, she gingerly planted a kiss on his lips. "You should be at the hospital, dear. You do have chakra depletion." _

"_But the hospital is so boring!" He whined. "Plus, you're not there. That's why I came home first." _

"_You know why I can't be at home," she replied, rubbing her stomach, which had started to grow, slowly and unnoticeably, for the last month. Indeed, our dear Haruno Sakura was pregnant with her husband, Uzumaki Naruto's, child. "Both of us need our chakra."_

"_But Sakura-chan!" He pouted. Giggling, she took his hand and led him out of the door. _

"_I'll come with you, ok?" She smiled. Oh, how he loved her smiles when they were genuine. They reflected a happiness and warmth that could send him to the ends of the earth, and he knew that she knew that._

"_Ok!" He chirped, grinning with such brightness, she could mistake him for the sun. She loved the way he was always grinning. He was always so warm, and full of emotion. The way he loved her ramen, the way he took care of her, the way he held her hand, it meant so much to her. Arm in arm, the couple made their way to the hospital. They walked and they talked, about how some people were dumber than him, and how they missed each other. She loved him; that went without saying. She loved him and would give her life if it meant that he could be safe. _

"_Ok," she said, once they had reached the hospital. "You go in and get yourself fixed, while I go and visit Shishou, ok?" referring to their Hokage and the head medic of Konoha. _

"_Sure!" He grinned, yet again. "Say hi to Baa-chan for me."_

"_Will do." She smooched him on his cheek before heading over to the Hokage tower, which was right next to the hospital. _

_Naruto smiled happily, shaking his head as he strolled into the hospital. He was so happy, now that he had managed to wed the love of his life, and now, even father her child. As the thought crossed him, he looked down fondly upon his ring. He might be considered the happiest man in Konoha, which was a surprise, considering his childhood, but after all, he was the Number One Unpredictable Ninja in all elemental countries. _

_Sakura traced the familiar steps from the hospital to the Hokage tower and up to the Hokage's office. She was glad she married Naruto, and had his child growing within her. In truth, she did not want anybody ELSE to be her mate. Lifting her hand, she was about to knock, when she heard the word, "Sasuke."_

_She froze. She could hear Tsunade and Shizune deep in conversation. "Are you sure?" She heard Tsunade ask._

"_They're positive." Shizune replied. "The scent, the blood, and the chakra signature was definitely his. From what it looked like, he had been in a tough fight and was alone."_

"_Shit." Tsunade swore. "Why would Sasuke come so near the village _now_? What would he want?" Sakura started shivering. She hadn't heard wrongly after all._

"_I wouldn't know," Shizune muttered, giving the most logical answer. "But I would guess it has something to do with valley…of…the…" She drifted off, realising that she had gotten the answer without intending to. _

"_Fuck!" The blond leader swore yet again. "The spot they found his tracks were so near the Valley of the End. There's no other explanation. He wants to kill Naruto." Sakura gasped inaudibly. "And then he wants to kill Konoha." Sakura couldn't take anymore. She took off running and headed back home, passing by the hospital to tell the front desk nurse to tell Naruto she'd be at home._

_Once she reached the apartment, she went to her room and closed the door, and sat on her bed. Her heart thumped thunderously as her mind swam with stray thoughts. She thought of his cold eyes and his pale skin that creeped her out. She thought of her attempt to kill him, and how Naruto had saved her. She remembered his former attempts at the lives of the kages, and his attempts on the village of Konoha. Then she thought of what Naruto had said upon coming back from the iron country. _

"_You know, right Sasuke?" He had asked. "You saw what was in my heart, right? The next time we fight, we're both gonna die."_

_A feeling grew within her for Sasuke that she soon recognised. She froze. She recognised this feeling, and welcomed it – it was hate. He deserved it, after what he had done to her, after what he had allowed to happen to the village, after what he had done to _Naruto._ After all his sins and crimes, her love for him had morphed into hate, and her love had been given to the one who loved her. _

_But she was married to Naruto, and was mothering his child, no less. Was she fit to go after Sasuke? Scratch that, did she have it in her to leave Naruto like this? Naruto loved her more than life itself, and he deserved better. But…after all, didn't love overrule everything? Could she go out and face Sasuke, when she knew Naruto would most definitely be heartbroken? Could she see the pain in his eyes? She was doing this because she loved him, and she didn't want him to die. _

_Finally, raising her head from her lap, she decided. Unlocking the door, she went to grab her ninja uniform and her travel backpack. Grabbing her First Aid, and some necessities, she took out a paper and a pen, thinking hard before putting it to meaningful use. She wrote her heart out on the letter, addressed to her beloved husband. She wrote about how much she loved him, but yet she was sorry that she couldn't stay. She wrote how grateful she was that he had stayed with her through thick and thin. She wrote how happy she was that she was the mother of his child, but also how sorry she was that he wouldn't be able to father the child. As she signed off, she folded the paper and wrote her dear husband's name on the back, kissed it before setting it down on the table. _

_However, before she could turn to leave, the front door slammed opened, rattling glasses somewhere to the clamour, to reveal Naruto. She turned around, shocked, staring into his bright blue eyes. _

"_I'm back, Sakura-chan!" He said breathlessly. "I came back as soon as I heard that you…what's with the nin-gear and the backpack?" His eyes slowly dimmed._

"_Naruto," she whispered, looking away._

"_What's going on, Sakura?" He urged her._

"_Sa-Sasuke-" She stuttered, trying to find the right words._

_A pregnant pause was all Naruto needed to growl dangerously before smashing a table that had the misfortune of being near him in his state of fury. _

"_So, you heard?" He asked her dangerously. Slowly, she nodded. Then it dawned upon her – how did _he _know?_

"_Does everybody but me know?" She asked, hurt showing in her eyes._

"_No, Sakura." He said through gritted teeth. "It was _my _team that found his tracks." Silently, she looked down, not knowing how to give her farewell. Naruto sighed, and leaned against the wall. He watched her sad yet determined eyes. _

"_Must you go?" He asked softly._

_She nodded slowly._

"_I can't make you change your mind?"_

_Another nod._

"_Did we mean nothing to you? Was our happiness false? A false hope that I believed in?" She was shocked that he would think that._

"_Of course it was real!" She exclaimed. "How could you even think that? I hated Sasuke since the day I hesitated when I could have killed him. Every single moment of our relationship was very distinct and perfect. Yes, we had our fights and our quarrels, but our love was whole and perfect, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I loved you, and you only."_

"_Then," Naruto started, a lone tear slid down his cheek, nearly breaking Sakura's heart. "Why must you go?"_

"_It's because I love you, Love." She smiled at him sadly. "I cannot let harm come to you, and you must become Hokage. You must rise up, and you cannot die. I'm determined to help you achieve your dream. You did so much for me, let me do this for you." He sighed._

"_Can I ask you to fulfil my one selfish request, though?" He asked painfully. Her heart really broke this time. He had never been selfish. He had tried to get her love back at the expense of his life and his heart. Now that she thought about it, his whole life had basically been dedicated to her, she owed him this. She nodded her head. "Just give me one last kiss." Her eyes widened. One kiss? That was all? Did she really mean that much to him? If it was one last kiss he wanted, she would be sure to make that kiss count. _

_Slowly walking up to him, she tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands wrapped around her lower back. Their lips met. It was a bittersweet kiss, filled with so much sadness and so much love. Their lips parted and their tongues entwined, they danced with each other, not fighting as they usually did in the midst of passion and lust. She could taste the sadness, love and grieve in his kiss, while he could taste the goodbye in hers. She really meant the goodbye – this would be the last time he saw her. She felt him tasting her, she felt him push into the kiss, but she did not feel his hands flashing through hand-signs. _

_Suddenly, chakra wrapped around her body, tying around her hands and wrapping them in an arm lock behind her. Her eyes widened and flashed in anger. "Naruto!" She started. "What-" _

"_I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." He said sadly, as more chakra wrapped her mouth. Her whole body was now wrapped in red chakra. Tried as she did, she could not break out, even with her chakra enhanced strength. "You're wrapped up in the Kyuubi's chakra, and it's about the only thing in the world you cannot break." Picking up her struggling form, he gently set her on the couch. "I cannot let you go, accept my first lie to you, please. Sasuke is not who we once knew, and you most definitely cannot kill him." _

_A lone teardrop leaked down the side of her cheek. _Let me go! _She thought angrily. _How could you?_ Looking down on her, his finger wiped her tears away. _

"_Thank you Sakura, for trying. But I love you," Naruto continued. "That's why you cannot go. I will go instead." Her eyes widened at his explanation. "I need you to live, for me, for our child." It was his turn to tear again. "I really wish I could have been the proper father, I really do. But it turns out, now, that I will become just like my old man. Goodbye, Sakura, I love you, take care of our child well." He gently, softly, placed his palm on her belly. "She needs to grow up, Sakura-chan," Sakura's eyes widened. "Yes, she's a girl, and she needs her mother. I will always be within both of your hearts. Remember, Sakura-chan, I love you."_

Baka!_ She thought desperately. _Come back! NO! Please, just stay with me!_ Tears flowed heavily as she struggled with twice the effort. Immediately, she thought about Sasuke leaving, but immediately knew it was different – Naruto was doing this for her. _

_When he reached the door, he turned around and smiled, like he did everyday when he went to work. "Seeya, Sakura-chan, I'm leaving now." And with that, he was gone, the door unlocked and his beloved wife tied helplessly to the bed. _

**A/N: So wadya think? I put a lot of thought into this, and I hope I get many many reviews^^ Hope you enjoyed it=] **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello, Mina-san=] I'm done with the second chapter=]…in English class :P Fun=] hope you enjoy it, and here we go!**

"_Yo, Ino," Naruto said as he landed in front of the famed flower shop._

"_Hey, Naruto!" She smiled, looking up from her stack of flowers. "Haven't seen _you _and _that_ orange suit in a long time."_

"_I got an emergency solo-mission, so I'll be gone for quite a while." He explained. "Since you're back, could you do me a favour?"_

_She nodded happily._

"_I'm kinda worried about Sakura, with the baby and all. Wouldya mind checking up on her? Just so she won't get lonely? Maybe tonight or something." He grinned, scratching his head nervously._

"_Yeah, definitely!" She smiled. "I'll go tonight."_

"_Perfect," he said, relieved. "Thank you so much." He turned to leave. _

"_So, Naruto," she added. "How's it feel to be a soon-to-be-father?"_

_He paused, as though he were deep in thought. "Life-changing." He nearly whispered, turning to grin at her once more, before departing. _

_Ino turned back to her work as she hummed to her tune happily. Sakura was lucky to have a man like Naruto, but it wasn't that she was jealous. Naruto wasn't her type. Her type was more-._

"_Troublesome," a half-naked male with pineapple hair said, walking out of the kitchen. "Was that Naruto?" _

"_Yep," Ino replied cheerfully. "Just came to ask me to check on Sakura 'cos he'll be away on a mission." _

"_That's strange," Shikamaru mumbled, scratching his head. "It's not normal for Tsunade-sama to send someone on a mission straight after one comes back, especially not our team." _

"_He did say that it was an emergency," Ino said thoughtfully._

"_And Naruto knows Sakura doesn't like to be checked on," Shikamaru continued. "She always says that she can take care of herself. This is a first."_

"_I'm sure it's nothing," Ino replied after much consideration. "He's probably just worried about the baby."_

"_If you say so," he mumbled. "Let's just go early."_

"_Sure!" She chirped. "Won't hurt to see a friend early."_

_Sakura's eyes were red and dry from tears. The chakra that wrapped around her was still existent, and prevalent, as she had discovered after hours of trying to break through. She had tried to grab something, but she could not even sit up. Flashbacks of their time spent together continued to wave in and out of her mind, bringing the onslaught of tears, which she passionately and shamelessly cried her heart out through. She remembered when she was crying inside her heart, but smiling on the outside, how he'd seen through._

"_Sakura-chan," he had said when they were alone. "You're hurt, right?"_

"_No," she had raised an eyebrow, not sure about what he was talking about. "I'm perfectly fine. I haven't been in any missions lately, so I'm not injured. Why would you think that?"_

"_I'm not talking about hurt _here_," he immediately replied without missing a beat. He had waved to her body. "I'm talking about here." Right then, he had grabbed her hand and placed it on his muscular chest, and she could feel his strong heartbeat. _

"_Wha-" She had tried to protest, but the look in his eyes stopped her. Gently, he had hugged her, her eyes still wide._

"_Shh sh sh," he had whispered soothingly. The emotion in his voice had most definitely touched her heart, and she found herself on the edge of breaking. "I know you're hurting. I know how it feels. You don't have to hide it from me." She remembered realising that she had unconsciously held on tightly to his shirt, as if she were pulling him closer. He had continued. "You are very strong, Sakura-chan, to be able to take so much pain. I know the pain you feel, and you don't have to hide it, not from me. You've done very well, Sakura."_

_He had continued, about how he could relate to her, and that she didn't have to bear all the pain by herself, she could share it with him. She wasn't sure – she had been too busy soaking his shirt in her tears. That fateful night, was the first night, in a long time that she had felt relieved of pain. That night, was the first and only that she had told anyone of her immense pain, and boy did it feel good. She was glad that it had been Naruto who saw through her, and she did not prefer anyone else. That was the first night, that she kissed Naruto, and the first night she knew, that she loved Naruto. _

_And now, as she lay on the couch with the chakra around her, she thought about how she was glad it was him, and not some other man, and most definitely not Sasuke. She was glad that she loved him, because her love for him was greater than her love for anyone, and he more than deserved it. Naruto knew her inside out, knew when she was sad, or tired, or hungry, or glad. He knew when to laugh with her, or cry with her. He knew that she liked sweet things, not bitter things, and that she sometimes skipped lunch. _

_He knew her, and loved her. That's what she loved about him. She knew that even though her hair was pink, and her boobs were small, Naruto didn't care, he loved her more than life itself. He didn't care that she hit him sometimes, because he knew that was her way of relieving herself of her pain. How ironic. Naruto had said that he would go to the ends of the world for Sakura, while she said that she would die for him. Now, Sakura wanted to go to the valley of the end, and Naruto was going to die for her. How did she let this happen? Her heart throbbed, and more of her tears fell. _

Naruto,_ she thought sadly. _I love you.

_Naruto flew from tree to tree, quicker than any ninja had ever been. His eyes were moist and tears fell from his cheek. He let it fall. He wasn't ashamed of crying when he knew he couldn't go back. He missed his wife, and he had hoped to see his child born, raise through the childhood he never had, before teaching it how to host the bijuu. He wished he could accomplish so much more, but he did not regret his decision. Sasuke had to be killed, or Konoha would have been placed in jeopardy, Sakura would have been placed in jeopardy, and so would his child. _

_He loved Sakura. And he knew Sakura loved him. She had shown the love and affection to him that he would never have expected from anyone else. She had been hurt, and badly. The man to whom she had trusted most with her heart, had left her home and almost destroyed it. She had been betrayed, and she was hurt. He knew that hurt, even when it came from her. But the difference in his case that he knew that loving Sakura was not a lost cause, and now she was his wife. _

_She opened up to him, and in turn, he opened up to her. She knew when he was sad, just like he knew when she was mad. She embraced his inner demon, as he did hers. They shared the pain that either went through, and they no longer needed to mask their emotions in front of each other. They could be themselves. _

_When Naruto was a little boy, the Third had told Naruto that life was like a circle, similar to history, repeating itself, but missing the centre – the core that made them whole. When Naruto met Sakura, he thought that she was pretty, and that she was lonely. She was abandoned by her friends and had no one to play with. She seemed to be a circle to him as well. He hung out with her, and gave her comfort. They continued to grow up together, and they soon drifted apart, because of the wretched Sasuke. But he was happy, because she was happy. Of course he hurt, and his empty circle was throbbing, but he convinced himself that he would be alright, because she seemed to be alright. _

_That fateful night, when she held close to him and cried her heart out, when she hugged his head and kissed him, he knew, without a doubt, that she was his centre, she was his core. She filled him up, as he filled her. He realised, at that moment, that we never really knew what our centre was, even when we were near them. But we only are absolutely sure who our centres are, when we know who they are, not only on the exterior, but deep within their hearts. _

Sakura-chan,_ he thought sadly, tears flowing down and falling in his wake. _I love you.

"_Hello? Forehead? You home?" Ino knocked on the door, yelling to the apartment's current occupant. Sakura's eyes shot open. Ino? What was she doing here? She tried moving to break something loud, but to no avail._

"_Mmmm!" The couple heard. Ino giggled._

"_It sounds like she's having sex." Shikamaru frowned._

"_That can't be right," he growled. "Naruto just left on a mission. Sakura won't sleep with anybody else." Ino's eyes widened._

"_Shit," she whispered before reaching for the doorknob. She found it unlocked. Barging in, she saw…nothing. Everything was in place except a table that had been reduced to splinters. "Shit," she repeated, louder this time._

"_MMMM!" _

"_The couch!" She gasped and ran there, to find Sakura, a very red-eyed and tear-stained Sakura, lying on the couch, wrapped in the Kyuubi's chakra. Of course it was the kyuubi's chakra. Anybody could recognise the dormant chakra that could destroy the whole of Konoha. "Shikamaru!" She cried._

"_Ino!" He was immediately by her side, and seeing the situation, pulled out a chakra seal and slapped it onto the chakra. Immediately, the seal flashed bright and absorbed all the chakra. As the chakra rope dissipated, Sakura grabbed Ino and held her in a hug. _

"_Sakura?" Ino asked, patting the back of her sobbing friend._

"_Naruto," she cried, knowing it was useless. "Naruto left!"_

"_What?" Shikamaru gasped, bewildered. "To think that we all thought he knew better."_

"_No!" Sakura cried even harder. "He wasn't planning to go! But he didn't want me to go!"_

_Through pants and hiccups, Sakura recounted the conversation she had overheard, and the conversation of her own. Ino held her through everything, while you could almost see the gears in Shikamaru's head malfunctioning._

"_Fuck," Shikamaru had whispered a while after she had finished. "Fuck." He repeated. "You two stay here, and I'll go and see Tsunade-sama." Seeing his girlfriend nod, he disappeared, like a shadow in a light. _

"_It's okay, Sakura." Ino soothed, rubbing Sakura's back._

"_No, it's not," Sakura whispered through hiccups. "Naruto is probably already fighting Sasuke, and he's gonna die. I don't want him to die."_

"_Sakura," Ino said sternly. "You have to trust in Naruto. He loved you so much that he asked me to check on you so you won't die of hunger or suffocation. Trust that Tsunade-sama would do something."_

_Sakura wanted that, she wanted to have hope. She wanted to believe that everything would turn out fine, but all she could do, against all her wishes, was nod dumbly, and continue crying. _

_Wind howled around two distinguished men as the faced each other, considerable distance between them. Of course, they were standing on the heads of the statues of Konoha's first Hokage, and his rival, Uchiha Madara. A huge waterfall flowed between the two of them, crashing loudly between the two statues, but not loud enough to muffle whatever the men were about to say. Despite the beautiful scenery, the clear waters and the birds singing, the aura surrounding the two was heavy and full of hate. The man on the shodaime's head was a blond of strong built, his wild yellow hair shaking in the wind. His beautifully deep blue eyes were cold, ready to kill, and not hesitant in the least. His long red coat rippled in the wind and revealed his orange and black jumpsuit. _

_The other man was of equal built, but had extremely pale skin, similar to that of a snake. His onyx black eyes were equally cold, but there seemed to be something different. This man had not one tinge of love in his life. He had forced himself to hate as long as he existed. His jet black hair swayed as well, revealing that he had no hitaite, contrary to the man opposite him. _

"_Naruto," the man said, smirking a little._

"_Sasuke," he replied._

**A/N: So there we have it, this is the second chapter=] a little cliff hanger for y'all, and maybe if y'all review lots lots, I'll post a double chapter=] So tell me what you think, and I hope you enjoyed it.=]**

**Mangaka Shuzen**


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hello there, Mina-san=] Hope y'all are doing well, finally done with this chapter, which, of you ask me, was the hardest to write. Anyways, I won't deny y'all any longer=] enjoy=]**_

"_Naruto," the pale skinned man smirked._

"_Sasuke," the blond growled, evidently unhappy with the other's presence._

"_I heard you're gonna be a father," Sasuke continued to smile. "Congratulations."_

"_Perhaps if we were meeting under more favourable circumstances, I would have accepted your congratulations." Naruto replied, face hard as stone. "But I know you're not here to chit chat." He spied a neatly wrapped arm that lay under Sasuke's sleeve and blood on his clothes._

"_Ah, well," Sasuke shrugged, their eye contact not breaking. "It's always fun."_

"_Since when were _you_ one to talk leisurely?" Naruto shot back, not missing a beat. "And why are you injured?"_

_Sasuke's smile widened and Naruto could have sworn he saw his rival's eyes chill even more. "I attacked Gaara, attempting to kill him. I nearly had him, but then, he had Shukaku."_

_Naruto's eyes flashed red for a moment, before he resumed. "And why are you here?"_

"_You know the answer, Dobe." Sasuke sighed. "I'm here to kill you, then I'm gonna destroy Konoha." At the sound of that, Naruto nearly leapt off his side and attacked Sasuke, but he kept his cool and his arms folded. _

"_Whose orders are you following?" He finally managed out through gritted teeth._

_Sasuke sighed again, seemingly disappointed. "Dobe," he replied. "Tsunade killed Madara, and you killed Pain. No one needs to order me to destroy Konoha, I'm merely fulfilling my destiny. After all, I _am_ an avenger."_

"_Then why Gaara?"_

"_Because he's the one who first bested me, then helped you unleash all that power."_

_Naruto closed his eyes, as though he were deep in thought. "You're not going anywhere near Konoha from this point on."_

"_Oh?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "And _you're _gonna stop me? You think _you_ can stop me? You think you're stronger than me?" With that, he let his chakra fill the air, his killer intent flowing in the direction of Naruto._

"_And you think _you're _stronger than _me_?" Naruto opened his eyes to show that they were crimson, and his chakra sprang out of the human container, so ruthless and powerful that it nearly overwhelmed Sasuke's, making him step back. Sasuke's smile dropped. "I'm not going to stop you, Sasuke." He inhaled deeply, letting the Kuruma's chakra form around him, taking the shape of the nine tales. He jumped up, sword clashing with Sasuke's, who had also jumped up. "I'm going to KILL YOU!"_

"_So, he left, huh?" Tsunade asked quietly, her back facing the Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Shizune, her front facing the village._

"_Hai, Tsunade sama," Shizune replied, who, despite her stoic expression, could not keep the worry out of her eyes. Who could? The blond knucklehead hero of the village, he who had grown close to many individuals of the village was in danger, and there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. _

"_What would you suggest, Shikamaru?" Tsunade finally spoke._

_Shikamaru sighed, his mind deep in thought. Any shinobi sent would most probably get in the way, and Naruto most likely wouldn't accept any help from any medic nin but Sakura. But Sakura was pregnant, thus not fit for any mission. _

"_I don't know," he finally grunted. The words they thought would never come out of his mouth finally did. "I honestly don't."_

_A heavy silence adorned the room as everybody thought of the best possible plan. _

"_Kakashi," she called, breaking the thick silence._

"_Hai."_

"_Take Yamato, Sai and Sakura, and head to the Valley of the End," She ordered._

"_What?" Shikamaru exclaimed, completely contrary to his normal behaviour, but they weren't under normal circumstances. "Sakura's pregnant! And Naruto will never forgive anyone for allowing Sakura to be in the line of danger."_

"_Sakura's the only one who will want to go near the battle, and, I hate to say this, but if Naruto is on the verge of death," everybody flinched, "Sakura's definitely the first person he wants to see."_

"_I understand, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied gravely._

"_Good," she acknowledged. "When you get there, observe the battle, and send Sakura in only when you see fit. Understand?" _

"_Hai."_

"_Pack what you need, and hydrate before leaving. They're probably just started, since he left yesterday, so go by dusk."_

"_Understood." _

"_Dismissed." At that word, he disappeared in a puff of smoke._

"_**Rasengan**__!" _

"_**Chidori**__!" _

_Words of similar nature were exclaimed as the two men, bloodied and dirtied, clashed against each other and, just as quickly, jumped away from each other, raising their swords to continue attack. Red eyes met blue, as their pants were synchronised. _

**Tsukuyomi**!_ Sasuke called out in his mind, trying to envelope Naruto in the reknowned genjutsu. A burst of chakra on Kyuubi's part prevented that from happening. _Damn!_ Sasuke growled. _Genjutsu's out of the picture till the end, then.

_Both calmed down slightly, not lifting their eyes off each other, even as little droplets of water started to fall from the sky, slowly getting heavier and more abundant – it was starting to rain. Sasuke's eyes flashed once, and they were off, speeding towards each other, katanas bouncing and creating sparks as they clashed, their movements too quick for any normal shinobi to track. _

_They bounced away from each other once again. _

"_**Katon!"**__ Sasuke yelled. "__**Great fireball jutsu!"**_

"_**Fuuton!"**__ Naruto yelled. _Hmph,_ Sasuke smirked._ Still a dobe after all. Fire beats wind._ "__**Wind hurricane jutsu!**__" Sasuke's eyes widened as his fireball was engulfed by the wind , which continued to head his way. "You blow at a fire, and it'll grow bigger. But if you blow at a candle, it extinguishes. I just made my fuuton techniques many times more powerful than your katon."_

_Sasuke jumped away and avoided the rolling ball of hot wind in the nick of time, saving himself. His angry, boiling red eyes glared at the blue ones that were looking down on him condescendingly. _

"_Dobe," Sasuke growled._

"_Teme," Naruto replied, getting his sword into position._

_Sakura splashed water on her face, rubbing the tears away before drying it with a towel. Hastily, she strapped her ninjato to her back before checking her pouch properly. Kakashi had left but moments ago, informing her of Tsunade's plan. Making sure that she had her extra gloves, the chakra pills she purchased from the Akamichi's and her adequate weaponry, she slipped on her boots and her elbow guards. Tightening her hitaite, she locked the apartment, and vanished. _

_She appeared right outside Ichiraku's ramen shop, and slipped in. _

"_Sakura-chan!" the old man, Teuchi called from behind the counter. "It's great to see you again! Say, I haven't seen you in that gear for quite a while now." _

"_Hai, Teuchi-san," Sakura smiled, going in further. "I'd like the usual, please."_

"_Ah, buying back for Naruto?" He didn't notice as she flinched sharply but deeply, because she recovered almost immediately, but the pain still remained. _

"_Yups!" She replied enthusiastically. "He'll be home late from a mission, so I want him to come home to his favourite meal, even when Ichiraku's already closed."_

"_Ah, you're so sweet, Sakura-chan," Teuchi chuckled, handing the large container of ramen and the barrel of soup to Sakura. "Naruto is lucky to have a wife like you." _

"_Nah," she replied, her mind deep in thought. "I'm lucky to have him."_

"_Ho ho ho!" Teuchi laughed, placing a bowl of chicken ramen on the table. "Here's a free bowl for Konoha's favourite blonde's wife!"_

"_Thank you, Teuchi-san," Sakura smiled thankfully, taking a seat and pulling out a pair of chopsticks. "I greatly appreciate it."_

"_Dobe," Sasuke growled, panting like a dog._

"_Teme," Naruto replied, grinning like the sun, though he was tired all the same._

"_You never give up, do you?" Sasuke asked._

"_Not till you're dead," Naruto replied without missing a beat. _

Shit. _Sasuke thought. _I'm steadily running out of chakra.

"_You're running out of juice, eh?" Naruto asked, grinning. Sasuke scowled. "I can see it in your eyes. But me, I've got a long way to go." With that, his chakra flared again, and Kurama's chakra engulfed him once more. The yellow chakra formed the fox around him as his whisker marks solidified. Blobs of chakra compressed in front of the fox as it grew black._

"_**Bijuu**__…"_

Fuck!

"_**Sphere!"**_

"_Hokage-sama."_

"_Team seven has not been back for two days. Konoha 12, I'm sending you on a mission to back them up, or pull them out if the situation is to dire. Is that understood?"_

"_Hai!"_

_Sakura's gloved hand covered her mouth as her tears flowed freely. Sai and Kakashi watched the battle below from their hiding place above. Sasuke and Naruto had been fighting for three days now. No food, no respite, no dialogue, no help, and finally, no more chakra. It was almost purely will power now, sword on sword, fist on fist. They might have been unconscious, for all they knew, yet fighting with what willpower they had within them. One, a will of vengeance, of violence, of blood. The other, of friendship, of loyalty, and of fire. _

_Sparks continued to fly from their swords. The speed had slowly deteriorated, but the energy and strength was still there. Once again, they clashed and flew apart, giving them a brief breather. Naruto took that chance to put his hands together into a hand sign. So he wasn't unconscious after all._

"_Kage bunshin!" He but yelled, as three of his clones popped into existence, each in equally bad shape. As she observed, now, his cloak which was once red and silky was now sleeveless and dirtied, torn on almost all sides. Both his and Sasuke's blood adorned both their outfits, and Sasuke was in no better shape. His breathing was laboured and his eyes were quite unfocussed. The lack of food and sleep for three days did that to you. However, his malice and hatred were ever present and he refused to falter._

_The clones attacked him, and he summoned three of his own to battle the group of blonds. The intensity of the battle lost nobody's attention, and nobody made a sound. Neither fighters left any openings, nor did they have any time to spare with idle chat and insults. _

_Suddenly, Sakura's eyes widened at what she saw. Another of Sasuke's clones appeared and backstabbed one of Naruto's. It disappeared before it could cry out in pain, but the original didn't seem to notice. The strain must have been too much for him, pushing him to the point where he didn't notice the extra information entering his head. She gasped again as she saw another clone get taken down. She had to do something or Naruto would be killed. _

_She got up from her position and prepared to run down. _

"_Sakura!" Kakashi hissed._

_Another clone popped. She sped forward._

"_Naruto!" She cried out. "Behind you!"_

_Naruto swung around, cutting the clones down before they had their chance at him. They disappeared in smoke, and left the original alone with his enemy. "Sakura?" Naruto question, bewildered. "What the fuck are you-" He stopped in mid-sentence._

"_Naruto!" Sakura screamed as she watched blood drip from the tip of the blade that stuck out of his chest. "No!"_

"_Naruto! Behind you!"_

Crap!_ Sasuke thought. _The bitch is here. _He fumed as his plan to play dirty was thwarted by his former teammate's entrance._

"_Sakura?" Naruto asked, bewildered. _Opening!_ Grinned Sasuke as he lunged forward. "What the fuck are you-" He was cut off as Sasuke's blade pierced through his torso via his back, the entire valley resounding with the disgusting noise. His blade was stained red with the blood that dripped onto the water. _

"_Naruto! NO!" Sasuke smirked as he heard the pinkette scream. _

"_That's right, Sakura," Sasuke laughed. "Scream, and cry. Feel the pain that your pathetic village charitably bestowed upon me." _

"_You bastard…" Sakura growled in rage._

"_I've killed your love, and destroyed your family. Now I'm going to destroy your – " It was _his_ turn to be interrupted as he was pulled forward by his shirt. He looked up to see Naruto glaring straight into his eyes, blood generously dripping from his mouth. Sasuke looked at Kusanagi only to find it broken, and it's blade still imbedded in the blonde's chest. _

"_I told you, teme," Naruto rasped angrily. "You're not going anywhere." With that, he grabbed Sasuke's shoulders and forced whatever chakra he had left into his palms. _

"_**Fuuton! Wind armour torture!**__" Following that, Sasuke's eyes widened as wind-enhanced chakra as sharp as needles pierced every aspect of his body at a frequency too high for even the Sharingan to catch, severing every single one of his chakra coils, then his bones, effectively paralysing him. Sasuke screamed in agony as blood leaked from his mouth, but that wasn't the end. Blades of wind emerged and started slicing at his skin at extreme frequency, ripping and tearing at his skin, cutting and skinning him. He screamed as the torture continued for another ten minutes, by the end of which, he was no longer recognisable. _

_Sasuke slumped onto the ground, shaking in wild spasms, muttering incoherently. Naruto limped over, raising his katana._

"_Suffer in hell, teme," he whispered, before whipping the blade down, beheading his enemy, his threat, and, a very long time ago, his brother. The threat was gone, and the danger that the Uchiha posed to Konoha was now over. There was no one to take revenge, because there was nobody to avenge. Closing his eyes, Naruto felt his body sway, before he lunged forward, only to be caught by Sakura and Kakashi. They lay him down on the floor as he opened his eyes. As his blur vision started to clear, he could make out the crying form of Sakura as she showed determination in trying to heal Naruto. Ino and Sai were trying to hold her back, but Sakura looked like she was crying. _

_Wait…Ino? When did she get here? Slowly, he made out the forms of the rest of the Konoha 12. Shikamaru and Chouji were kneeling beside Kakashi, all looking grave and sad. Kiba was hugging a sobbing Hinata while Shino stood there, still as he ever was. Naruto couldn't hear anything, nor could he feel anything. His blood filled mouth slowly curled into a smile as his hearing returned slightly._

"_Sakura-chan…" he whispered softly._

"_Naruto-kun!" She sobbed, looking at him as she continued to attempt to heal his hearing. _

"_I'm…I'm dying, right?"_

_Sakura's eyes leaked out more tears as she refused to answer. _

"_Heh heh…" Naruto chuckled. "Don't cry, Sakura-chan, you let it all out last time, remember?" Sakura but sobbed harder at that, and Naruto shakily raised his hand, feebly wiping away the tears on her cheeks._

"_Sakura-chan?"_

"_Yes, Naruto?"_

"_Just…Just because I leave this body, doesn't mean…that I'll…I'll leave you." He rasped. "I'll always be…here." His hand touched her chest, her heart, and then slipped to her stomach. "Watch over her, Sakura-chan." He smiled one more time as she nodded furiously. "Now," He said, he final breath drawing near. "Gimme a kiss." _

_Slowly, she lowered her head, curled her hair behind her ear, and caught his lips in her own. She cared not that he did not have the strength to make the kiss feel good, and she cared not that he was bleeding all over her. All she cared was giving her love, her husband, and her teammate one last kiss. Slowly, even while she was still kissing him, his hold loosened, and eventually, his hand went limp, and her breathed no more. _

_Sakura raised her head, and howled, tears pouring down her face like never before. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she screamed and cried like a vixen that had lost her mate. The thunder erupted and rain poured down on the Valley of the End. Blood was washed into the river as Sakura's cries got softer. Ino's eyes widened as Sakura knelt there, her mouth open and her face facing the heavens, her pupils not visible._

"_Everybody, her brain's temporarily shut down! We gotta get her back to Konoha before it's permanent!" She cried out in alarm._

"_Chouji!" Kakashi ordered. "Carry Sasuke and Naruto! Kiba! Take His head! Sai, take Ino and Sakura back to the Konoha hospital as quickly as you can. We'll meet you there."_

_The thunder roared and lighting flashed, as though the sky was crying for Konoha, and for the blond Knucklehead. For those who were his friends, those who were his teachers. For those who considered him a hero, a rival, a brother, or a teacher. For she who would call him her lover, her husband, and her motivation. It was a sad day for all of them. It was a day of excruciating pain, and of immense grief. For it was the day, in the whole of Konoha's history, that a demon was raised from the slums, became an important part of everyone's lives. For it was the day that the demon who turned into a hero was soon to return to the dust. For this was the day, a day never forgotten in the whole elemental countries, that Naruto died._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: the fourth chapter=] happier than the previous ones, and I'm sure y'all'll like it=] enjoy, y'all!**

And so our favourite pinkette lay in her bed, awakened after the dream of her husband's death. She couldn't cry, because there were no more tears. And she wouldn't get up, because there was nothing for her to do. There was no one for her to wait on, to cook for; there was no one that she could live for. Ever since she fell in love with him, everything she did, she tried to look her best, so as to be someone good enough for Naruto. She wanted to live for Naruto, just as Naruto had lived for her.

But now, with the absence of the blond, she had no direction, and no purpose. She had no will, she had no happiness. The only man who had earnestly loved her despite her flaws and insecurities, the only man that had comforted her in ways that only he could give, and the only man that had given her a purpose when there was none. That man was gone, dead, gone from the world, and never again, would she feel his warmth or his comfort. How then, would she find a purpose? She wanted to love no other, rather, she couldn't love anyone else. No one could give her what Naruto did. Attention, kindness, passion, peace, understanding, and love, all to the extent of that which only Naruto could fulfil.

Now, with the absence of the blond, there was only pain. The pain felt like a gaping hole in her heart that was slowly decaying, but never finishing. She couldn't even drink, because that was bad for the baby. So, all that was left to do was to lie in this bed, reflecting past events and receiving the pain without hesitation.

It had been 3 months since Naruto's funeral, 4 months since she had stopped work, and 5 months since she had gotten pregnant. Still, she had not done much. She had not eaten much, and had not cared for herself well. She was a little frail, and her hair had grown long.

_Knock knock._

That was Ino. After Naruto's funeral, Ino had been actively taking care of Sakura, dropping in almost every day that she wasn't on a mission. She would bring some of Sakura's favourite food, or Ichiraku's ramen. She reasoned that if Sakura did not take care of herself, who would?

"Forehead!" Ino called out from behind the door. "C'mon, time to eat!"

"I'm coming," Sakura mumbled, getting out of bed and heading to the front door. "Thanks for coming again, Ino."

"You know it," she grinned. She stepped in and laid the dinner ingredients on the table. "_Some_body's gotta take care of ya."

"And I'm sure glad it's you," Sakura tried smiling.

_She really has changed, _Ino thought._ She's so quiet now, so hard to smile. _"You better be," she smirked again. "Now let's get you some dinner."

They spent the next couple of hours cooking, chopping, and allowing Ino to talk, and update Sakura on the outside world. Occasionally, Sakura would smile, and reply, but what she really wanted to do now was listen to her best friend. Occasionally, Ino would say something like, "There was a patient in the hospital, and his head was swollen with blood, but his body was pale from the lack of it. Isn't that weird?"

"Yup," Sakura would reply.

"What do you think it is that's clotting up?" Ino would wonder thoughtfully.

"Didn't you ask Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura would ask, nudging Ino.

"No, because she's mega busy without you and Shizune there," Ino smirked. "Ah, Shizune."

"Eh? What happened to Shizune?"

"She's pregnant! With Kakashi's kid!" Sakura's jaw dropped at this.

"Nice!" Sakura actually managed to smile here. "Anyways, the arteries in the heart are probably blocked and clotted in the vena cava, so you'll have to extract that clot and seal up his artery again. Remember to be able to differentiate the vena cava from the pulmonary, those can be tricky."

"Ok, ok…" Ino sighed, disappointed is herself that she forgot how much Sakura could talk about subjects like that.

"So," Ino picked off later, during dinner. "How ya doin?"

Sakura put down her fork, thinking carefully while looking up. "Well," she started after a while. "I still think about him, and the nightmares still come, but it's different now. I used to wake up screaming, and the silence would kill me. But now, I wake up in cold sweat, but I still can hear his voice, calling out my name."

And that was pretty much how their evening went. Ino headed back to Shikamaru's, and Sakura went to sleep, or got to bed, rather. At night, her nightmares haunted her, and sleep left her.

"_Sakura," a bleeding Naruto wheezed while grinning in her lap. "I'm dying right?"_

_Tears continued to pour from her eyes, and she couldn't answer him. _

"_Sakura chan," he whispered. "I'll never leave your heart, I'll always be by your side, I'll never leave you alone." And at that moment, the light in his eyes faded._

"NARUTO!" Sakura shot up from her bed, tears and sweat pouring onto her blanket as her hands struggled to wipe them from her face, but failing.

"Naruto…" She sobbed quietly as while her whole body shook. "Why? Why did you break your promise?"

"_Sakura."_

"Why did you leave me?" She continued to cry.

"_Sakura._"

"Why?" She continued, "I really miss you."

"_I won't leave you, Sakura._"

"I can still hear you voice, Naruto."

"_Sakura."_

Slowly, Sakura slowly, yet unconsciously, lifted her head from her hands, and gasped. Her heart thumped harder and faster and she started sweating even more. Her breath was caught in her throat and her mouth moved in silent words. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks as she finally found her voice to say one word.

"Naruto?"

"_Sakura_," came the reply. For in front of her stood her lover, her husband, and the father of her child. But he was dead, most definitely dead. How could she have forgotten? She had cried herself to sleep for months on end and was waking up crying for the next. Naruto was undoubtedly dead. So why? Why on earth was he standing at the foot of her bed, and smiling at her? Had she really been driven mad?

"_I'm home, Sakura."_

"Am…am I dreaming?"

"_No, Dear, I'm real, but only you can see and hear me, only you, and her." _He sat right next to her and placed his hand on her belly, indicating to their child._ "And only you can feel or touch me."_

"Wait…her?" Sakura asked tearfully.

"_Yes, Love_," he grinned at her. _"It's a girl_."

"And only we can feel you?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"_Ye-_"

Sakura grabbed Naruto and smashed him onto the bed and kissed him, hugging him as though he would disappear if she didn't hold on. Naruto smiled into the kiss and hugged her too. She could feel his warmth, and could smell him. He was real, alright. The passion in their kiss intensified as they opened their mouths and let their tongues slip out, initiating the wrestle that they loved.

"I missed you!" She cried, sobbing while kissing him. "You idiot! Why did you leave me!"

"_I'm back, aren't I_?" He grinned sheepishly at her. "_And for the record, I missed you too_."

As they continued to kiss, her hands fisted his jacket and, confirming that it was tangible, started to unclothe him. Being at the bottom, it was rather hard, but she managed to grab his zip and slowly slid it down, Naruto threw his jacket off and grabbed Sakura's face, kissing her like there was no tomorrow. His hands slowly moved down onto her clothes, which were basically a t-shirt and panties, which were starting to get wet. Hungrily, he tore her t-shirt off and left her torso exposed.

"It's…" she gasped, panting for breath. "It's been so long…since I felt your warmth."

"_Is it…ok_?" Naruto questioned, worried about their child. "_While you're pregnant, I mean._"

"Yeah," she smiled, overjoyed with happiness. This was Naruto, alright.

"_Then I'll be sure to make the most out of it_." Naruto grinned lustfully. Sakura shivered and grinned. Definitely her Naruto.

Happiness and lust continued to course through her body as Naruto's hands started kneading at her still rather small breasts. Even though they were small, Naruto always seemed to have a love and fascination of them, and even when she looked down on them, Naruto loved them. _Big breasts are…too big!_ He had told her once when she asked him. Heat travelled to her face as he started to pinch her erect nipples. Gasps and moans finally escaped her lips as he bit down on each of her tips, sucking and stretching them like he used to. Juices continued to squirt out of her clothed core as he continued his ministrations.

Sitting up, much to Sakura's displeasure, he removed his remaining clothes, displaying the body that Sakura missed so much. Smiling fondly, she, too, sat up, feeling his row of abs and muscles. When Naruto was in nothing but his boxers, they started kissing again, eventually falling onto the bed again. Sakura's arms wrapped themselves around his neck, and while his left arm was wrapped around her back, his right hand was placed on her centre. Her face heated up in anticipation of what he had in store for her. His finger started to gently rub up and down the slit of her soaking entrance. Sakura squirmed and gasped when he reached her clitoris, rubbing it.

"Naru…Naruto!" Sakura gasped.

"_Yes, my dear_?" he asked gleefully.

"St…stop!"

"_Stop what_?" He continued.

"St…stop teasing…meEEEE!" Her voice hitched when he started to rub her anus.

"_Okay,_" true to his word, as he always was, he stopped, and drew back, making Sakura sexually frustrated.

"Naruto!" She whined. "You know what I mean, we've had this conversation before!"

"_And I never get tired of that cute face of yours," _he smiled. "_Tell me what you want, Love._" Naruto smirked, thinking he had won, but it quickly faded when she grabbed his huge erection hastily.

"I want this," she growled, squeezing his manhood. "Inside of me, and I also want," she gave him a quick kiss at this point, "to feel your love once more."

"_Your wish is my command, milady," _Naruto smiled, removing the offending garment of his boxers. Pushing her onto her knees, he pushed her panties down nearly to her knees, but not there yet, so as to make her tight, and immobilise her legs. The smell of her dripping triangle hit him like a 2-tonne brick. The juices leaked out of her opening and slid down her thighs, hardening him more, if that was possible.

"Naruto," Sakura called out happily. "Hurry up!"

In response, Naruto slammed his hips against her rump, piercing right through her defences. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she cried out in pleasure and happiness. He was right, she was tighter than the last time they had sex. Pulling out as slowly as he could, Naruto slammed back in again. Sakura was in high heaven. Her lover was making love to her, when she thought she would never feel a man's warmth ever again. Naruto was her perfect lover – he knew when to tease her, when to surprise her, when to take it slow or fast, rough or smooth. He was her lover, her husband, her mate.

"Faster, Naruto," Sakura cried out, even as he was already increasing his pace. "I'm desperate for you! I need you!"

He continued to increase his pace, pulling out and plunging back in, all the time getting rougher and faster. He grunted as his grip on her hips got tighter. Reaching forward, he grabbed her breast by her nipples and pinched them, hard. Sakura screamed as he squeezed her breasts, and pulled her back into a sitting position. The tip of his shaft continued to strike her g-spot, bringing her closer to her climax. Placing his mouth on her neck, he started to suck on the sweet spot that only he knew of. All this pleasure was starting to be too much for Sakura as her tongue stuck out and tears from the pleasure started to form on the eyes that were still rolled back.

"Naruto!" She cried out. "I'm cumming soon!"

Wordlessly, but with a couple of sexual grunts, he flipped her onto her back and ripped her panties off, and spread her legs. Looking down upon his beautiful, no gorgeous wife, he sent his juice covered manhood right back into his lover's cave, making her scream once more. He started to piston faster and harder than before and Sakura's hands somehow found their way to his Golden locks, tangling themselves there. She pulled him into a kiss and their arms wrapped around each other. The fire within them continued to grow bigger and wilder.

"_I'm cumming, Sakura," _Naruto growled.

"Cum inside me, Love!" Sakura yelled. "I want to feel your hot seed in me again!" With that, Naruto thrust inside her one more time, and the ball of fire exploded, and so did they. Sakura screamed into the kiss and the couple held each other closer than before, experiencing the climax together. Naruto coated Sakura's inner walls with his seed while the vixen's cum gushed out of her opening, sure to stain the sheets.

As they gradually came down from their high, Sakura kissed Naruto on the nose. Naruto, too lazy to pull out, rolled them onto their sides, still tangled in each other's embrace.

"You…have no…i…idea how much I…I miss that," Sakura said through pants. Her eyes were already close, but she was smiling, truthfully and happily.

"_Rest well, my love,_" Naruto whispered as a chakra tail slipped out and grabbed the blanket before covering them and dissipating. "_Rest well._" That she did, for once in a very long time, she did.

**A/N: Wow, that took a while^^ I enjoy this story=] do you? You do? Then review! Please! I bet it won't take you more effort than it took me to write this=] I actually did not intend for there to be a lemon, but then I remembered something Konohakitten told me, so I thought, "Lemon sounds good=]" so there you have it, lemony goodness because of her=]**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello there mina-san=] I'm back once again! I'm so sorry that I made y'all wait, but it couldn't be helped, I was busy with summer school and then my computer got confiscated for some reason you don't need to know=] but all in all, I managed to write one more chapter before summer ends, AAAANNDD! I've done a NaruSaku one-shot for y'all perverts as an apology for my long absence=] It's called "What I want to do to you." Check it out on my profile page=] Enjoy!**

Sakura's eyes squeezed harder, before she slowly opened them up. Her emerald eyes slowly roamed the room. Something was out of the ordinary. She could feel it; she felt too relaxed, too calm, too…rested. It was too serene within her. She felt better than she did in a long time. She slowly closed her eyes again, before she shot up full force, her memories returning in one shot, waking her up without fail. She looked around, scanning around for any signs that the previous night's activities were real. She was alone in her bed, and there were only her clothes on the floor. But she was naked, and there were stains on her bed.

The sex she had last night felt too real to be an illusion, there was no way that she could have dreamed that. And after such a long period of time when she had nightmares of his death, why would she have a dream of his love? Her eyes widened at the possibility. Was it genjutsu? That's not reasonable. Why would somebody put genjutsu on her; to rob her?

Feeling a pinch of depression slipping back into her heart, she got up from bed and wrapped herself in her bath robe, tying the knot before heading out of the room. Looking around carelessly, she searched for anything that the thief might have stolen. Strangely enough, everything was in its rightful place. Suddenly, she sensed it – someone was in her house, and she could feel his chakra signature. It was very well hidden, being very faint, and very small. It would take a ninja of her calibre or more to hide that well, and medic of her standard to sense it. After all, Tsunade had insisted that her beloved apprentices learn to detect even the faintest signatures of chakra so as to avoid sneak attacks. Her skill in this area merely came with massive multitudes of training and experience in battle. This chakra was familiarly warm, and friendly, but that was all she could get, and Sakura was taking no chances. Reaching behind a painting that was behind her, she pulled out a kunai and got ready to apprehend the intruder. He was in her kitchen, he was stationary, and as she took a peak in, he was…eating ramen?

"_Good morning, Sakura-chan!_"A cheerful Naruto greeted whilst slurping down his favourite food. "_I see you haven't gotten rid of my stash of ramen, eh?_"

Sakura froze, unsure of what to believe. She stared at him for a minute, not sure what to think, before squeezing her eyes shut. "_**KAI!**_" Sakura tried to dispel any illusion present, but Naruto remained at her kitchen table, grinning at her. "_I'm real, Sakura chan!_"

Was he really? She tried to think of some explanation for this, so possible meaning behind the fact that she could see him. Surely she was not going insane? She continued to stare at his face, almost trying to see if there was something about him that might prove that he was false, and that this was either a bad joke or a bad dream. If he really was here, she needed to feel him, touch him as she had done the previous night. Step by step, she inched towards him, her hand slowly, shakily, reaching for his face. Carefully, almost afraid that he would disappear upon contact, she stroked his whiskers. His eyes darkened and grew heavy. She could feel a lump growing in her throat as her fingers traced behind his ears and his face rested in her palm. She buried her other hand in his golden locks, slowly scratching his scalp while feeling his hair. Ever so quietly, he started to purr. Immediately, a tear fell from her eye as she nodded furiously.

"Yes," she said through suppressed sobs. "You're real." And with that, she jumped at him and wrapped her arms around his neck as he snapped out of his comfortable gaze, happily wrapping his arms around her lower back. Tears continued to pour out of her eyes and soak his jacket as he rubbed his palm up and down her back.

"_I'm home, Sakura-chan_," he whispered soothingly while planting slow kisses on her bare neck. She continued to sob and mumble into his shirt. His lips felt just as soft as they always did, always making her feel whatever she needed to feel. She would feel better when sad, dirty in the shower, happy at a celebration, and lustful in the bedroom. Now, she felt peaceful in his arms.

After a considerable amount of time spent comforting each other, Naruto released Sakura before motioning towards the couch in the living room. She sniffled and happily followed him, sitting down comfortably before smiling at him, and boy, did it feel good. The fact that she had not smiled in ages meant that the muscles in her face had started to grow stiff. He smiled at her, and she grinned, and a feeling of the clouds parting to reveal the glory of the sun washed over the both of them – she was happy again.

"I still can't believe that you're here with me once more," Sakura whispered, ruffling his hair once more while he grinned ecstatically.

"_It was pretty cool, actually_," Naruto described animatedly. "_I met the Shinigami._"

"I would expect so," laughed Sakura. "You kinda died there."

"_Yeah, sorry about that_," he scratched his head nervously. "_You must have taken in pretty rough._"

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," Sakura replied. "Carry on, you met the Shinigami?"

"_Oh yeah!_" He resumed his animated aura and continued his explanation. "_He and Kami-sama were telling me that all the bijuu are going to reincarnate in 20 years. And unlike the past time, whereby the bijuu were just sources of chakra to their hosts, and thus were mostly hostile towered them, they are now willing to share their chakra, thus triggering the connection to a whole new level._"

"But there were jinchuriki who got along perfectly well with their bijuu, like Nii Yugito, and Bee," Sakura asked, perplexed. "Wasn't that a change already?"

"_That's what I asked them_," he answered cheerfully. "_They said that this is different, the bijuu are going to work with the humans without being sealed into them, like when I was fighting the fake Madara. This brings the power and the relationship to a whole new level, and they'll be more powerful than I was_."

"That's…hard to imagine," Sakura mumbled.

"_I know right?_" Naruto chuckled. "_This time, they're going to be bonded in soul, yet not in body, kinda like one soul in two bodies._"

"Whoa there," Sakura popped. "Body?"

"_Yep_," Naruto replied. "_They're gonna have actual bodies, the bijuu, significantly smaller, and normal sized, of course, but they will be able to grow to their previous size at will._"

"That's pretty intense…" Sakura said in awe.

"_Think of it as Ramen made of both noodles and soup, but it's just one dish_," Naruto grinned, proud of his new analogy. "_One mega delicious dish_."

Sakura giggled, patting him on the head. "I think I can imagine without the help of your visual aid."

"_But Sakura-chan," _he pouted, eliciting another series of laughter from her. Silently, he smiled; it was really good to hear her laugh again. He smiles and her laughter made him happy to no end.

"_But there is one more thing,_" he said after a while, resuming his earlier seriousness. "_The Kyuubi is going to be the first to reincarnate, and that will be in 15 years."_ Sakura gaped.

"15 years? That's 5 years earlier! Why?"

"_That's why I'm here," _he explained. "_I was, the Kyuubi's last host. I will be able to teach our child,"_ at this he pointed to her belly, "_to how to get along with the Kyuubi and harness its power this new way. Furthermore, I have the past experiences of all the past Jinchuuriki in here," _and he pointed to his temple, _"and I will teach the child, together with you, of course, how to be a good person. With the immense power that this child will receive, she will receive an enormous responsibility. I will pass on these experiences to her, so that her values and foundation may be concrete."_

Sakura looked down at her hands, allowing what he said to sink in. "My child," she whispered. "Hosting the Kyuubi?"

"_She won't be hosting him, Sakura-chan," _Naruto smiled comfortingly at his mate. "_They'll be more like partners in souls." _She sighed still.

"Will she… Will she be hated?" She asked, close to tears. Naruto smiled at her once more.

"_No, Sakura-chan,_" Naruto gently kissed her on her cheek. "_I've got something planned just for that." _She saw his famous steadfast reassurance in his eyes and visibly relaxed.

"But why when our child is 15?" Sakura asked, still a bit against the idea. "Isn't that a bit too early? She'll just be a kid. She'll need to be making friends and getting a boyfriend and chasing whatever dream that she has. Can't it wait?"

She looked up into his eyes, pleading silently, but immediately regretted it. "_Sakura-chan,"_ Naruto spoke softly, not liking the inevitable. "_My mission here is to make sure that when the bijuu come back, peace will still remain. The kami can delay their return, but only for so long. My time is limited, just like everyone else. I was 29 when I died in my physical form; my spiritual form in this world will not last much longer."_

He watched as tears started to form in her eyes, and the sadness started to creep into her heart again. She gripped his jacket and slowly looked down, thoughts flooding in and out of her head. She suddenly snapped back into reality when Naruto pushed her chin up with his fingers, staring straight into her eyes, before pressing his lips fully onto hers. "_Sakura-chan,_" he breathed. "_Don't be sad, you cried it all out last time, remember?" _She slowly nodded._ "I hate it when you're sad. Your beautiful face is always complemented by a smile." _His thumb stroked her cheek. "_So smile."_ Her lips unconsciously curled into a small smile, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

Slowly, she kissed him, and he kissed her. They moved their mouths in such a way that they forgot everything around them; the instant ramen, and the fact that it was still morning. All that mattered to them, at that moment, was them, and their current preoccupation. Sakura lifted her leg over his lap, straddling him. Naruto's hands formed a tight grip on her buttocks and pulled her in. Twisting around a little, they fell into such a position that Sakura was on top. Gradually, their lovemaking pace came to a halt. Gently placing her hands on his face, she stared deep into his eyes, as if she still couldn't believe that he was really back.

"Naruto?" She quietly asked.

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you're back," she shyly stated, bringing a soft smile to his face.

"Sakura-chan?" He started to reply.

"Hmm?"

"Me too."

**A/N: And that, folks, is the end of this chapter. Yep, might be a while before I end up posting another chapter of any of my stories, but I really will honestly try my best to deliver this awesomeness to you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I really have some doubts on whether I took the right turn there, but oh well, if you like it, tell me^^ if you don't like it, tell me^^ just…be nice=] And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I took a leaf out of the book Eragon when I wrote about the new Jinchuuriki=]**

**Sincerely,**

**Shuzen-sama**


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